“No, sir,” replied Finigan, retorting his look with one of indignant scorn, “far be it from me to insinuate any such thing.  I broadly, and in all the latitudinarianism of honest indignation, assert that it is a d—­d lie, begging your pardon, and drinking to your moral improvement a second time; and ere you respond to what I’ve said, it would be as well, in order to have the matter copiously discussed, if you ordhered in a fresh supply of liquor, and help yourself, for, if the proverb be true—­in vino veritas—­there it is again, but truth will be out, you see—­who knows but we may come to a thrifle of it from you yet?  Ha! ha! ha!  Excuse the jest, Mr. Hycy.  You remember little Horace,—­

     “‘Quid vetat ridentem dicere verum?’”

“Do you mean to say, sirra,” said Hycy, “that I have stated a lie?”

“I mean to say that whoever asserts that I misrepresented you in any way to Bryan M’Mahon, or ever cautioned him against you, states a lie of the first magnitude—­a moral thumper, of gigantic dimensions.”

“Well, will you tell me what you did say to him?”

“What I did say,” echoed Finigan.  “Well,” he added, after a pause, during which he I surveyed Hycy pretty closely—­having now discovered that he was, in fact, only proceeding upon mere suspicion—­“I believe I must acknowledge a portion of the misrepresentation.  I must, on secondary consideration, plead guilty to that fact.”

“I thought as much,” said Hycy.

“Here then—­,” proceeded Finigan, with a broad and provoking grin upon his coarse but humorous features, “here, Mr. Hycy, is what I did say—­says I, ’Bryan, I have a word to say to you, touching an accomplished young gentleman, a friend of yours.’

“‘What is that?’ asked the worthy Beit-nardus.

“‘It is regarding the all-accomplished Mr. Hyacinthus Burke,’ I replied, ‘who is a homo-factus ad unguem.  Mr. Burke, Bryan,’ I proceeded, ’is a gentleman in the—­hem—­true sense of that word.  He is generous, candid, faithful, and honest; and in association wid all his other excellent qualities, he is celebrated, among the select few who know him best, for an extraordinary attachment to—­truth.’  Now, if that wasn’t misrepresentation, Mr. Hycy, I don’t know what was.  Ha! ha! ha!”

“You’re half drunk,” replied Hycy, “or I should rather say whole drunk, I think, and scarcely know what you’re saying; or rather, I believe you’re a bit of a knave, Mr. O’Finigan.”

“Thanks, sir; many thanks for the prefix.  Proceed.”

“I have nothing more to add,” replied Hycy, rising up and preparing to go.

“Ay,” said Finigan, with another grin, “a bit of a knave, am I?  Well, now, isn’t it better to be only a bit of a knave than a knave all out—­a knave in full proportions, from top to toe, from head to heel—­like some accomplished gentlemen that I have the! honor of being acquainted wid.  But in the I meantime, now, don’t be in a hurry, man alive, nor look as if you were fatted on vinegar.  Sit down again; ordher in another libation, and I shall make a disclosure that will be worth your waiting for.”